Style and Substance

Style and Substance

Straight from Common Ground’s creative director and editor, here are some quick tips for giving your newsletter form and function.

DESIGN

KEEP IT SIMPLE, LEGIBLE, AND ORDERLY. Set up a grid to help you align columns of type and graphics. A three-column grid is typical for most newsletters. Set your copy in these columns and align your graphics by these guides. Use white space to frame and organize the page.

DON’T USE MORE THAN TWO TYPEFACES. A serif face for the body copy and a sanserif face for the heads and subheads will build good contrast. Chose fonts that won’t date your publication. Look to the classics: Garamond, Century, Helvetica, Times, and Univers, to name a few.

USE RESTRAINT WHEN CHOSING COLOR. Remember, the reader has to read. Chose colors that are soothing to the eye. Safe bets are blues and greens. Stay away from yellow type (too hard to see), and watch red—you’ll get pink screens. Use color to accent or draw interest to parts of the page.

GIVE IT SOME PUNCH. Add photos and graphics, but don’t complicate things with too many shapes and decorative elements. Visuals can attract your reader’s eye, but too many can be distracting and make your page look junky. Use contrast of size and weight. For example, make one photo large (for the most important topic on the page) and all other visuals small.

CONSISTENCY, CONSISTENCY. Once you have a design, stick with it. It sets the identity for your publication. Use the same fonts, grid, and mast from issue to issue. Then, readers will recognize your newsletter and read it cover-to-cover.

GO BEYOND THE BASICS. After you’ve taken care of hard news, the sky’s the limit. Check your local newspaper to see what else it carries besides straight news. To start, have a president’s column, and maybe a manager’s column, too. Profile a different resident—or new residents—in each issue. If someone is a film buff, ask her to write movie reviews. If someone loves to cook, ask for recipes.

ALLOW LETTERS TO THE EDITOR. What do your residents think? Find out by encouraging them to send letters to your newsletter. Make clear that you won’t publish anything libelous, gratuitous, or plain offensive, but otherwise, let them have their say. Don’t withhold a letter just because the writer is taking issue with a board decision.

HAVE FUN WITH HEADLINES. Sometimes you just have to say “Board Approves Budget: Assessment to Rise $10.” Other times, however, you can let your hair down. Make a pun, or riff on a movie title.

INCLUDE A STAFF BOX AND BYLINES. Always give credit where credit is due. Use bylines to identify who wrote particular articles. Put your staff box in the same place each issue—say the bottom of page 2 or the top of page 3—and include information on your staff (editor, copy editor, photographer, staff writers) and your newsletter (how often it’s published, association name, address).

* These articles and related content on this website are provided without warranty of any kind and in no way consitute or provide legal advice. You are advised to contact an attorney specializing in Association Management for legal advice related to your specific issue and community. Some articles are provided by thrid parties and online services. Display of these articles does in no way endorse the products or services of Community Association Management by the author(s).

“In the past, we felt like we did not get much support due to our size or the lack of effort from the person handling our account. I do not feel that way with Community Association Management. Our Property Manager has been very active in what we are trying to accomplish in our community and providing us with a variety of options. We are currently going through trying to figure out what to do about our roofing situation. The manager provided us good options and now we are in the process of starti…

Phenomenal Support!Darlene Z. Charlotte, NC

Quite impressed with the eManageSuite system!!

S. Reavis; Charlotte, NCImpressive!

Our Community has found so many benefits from eManageSuite. I find that the financial reporting and record keeping especially thorough and helpful. Our Homeowners love that they have choices on how to receive information and submit payments. I could never go back to operating without these tools and the professional guidance from Community Association Management. I wouldn’t even want to try.

Gina R., Boone, NCWe Could Never Go Back....

“Community Management is a very professionally run organization, with all of the aids and assistance necessary to help a HOA board of directors answer to their community’s needs.”

I am writing this letter to tell other HOAs about the effort and dedication KDK Property Management (now part of Community Association Management) displayed while helping the Heritage Townhome community improve the parking situation in our community. The Orange County planning department approved the builder’s plans without ensuring adequate parking was available for the thirty units in our community. Soon after becoming the property manager for our community, your team began the quest to cor…

Kevin UnderhillPresidentHeritage Townhomes HOA

Community Management is a very professionally run organization, with all of the aids and assistance necessary to help a HOA board of directors answer to their community’s needs.

B. Chiles, Charlotte NCProfessionally Run Organization

Community Association Management is extremely thorough and knowledgeable in their approach to business. They are also very timely in their communications. They have saved our community a lot of money. When they first approached us and told us how much we could save by working with them, we thought the promise was ‘too good to be true’. They have more than delivered on that promise and more.

Bob A., Raleigh, NCSignificant Cost Savings

Community Association Management has been a godsend to our association. They are available 24/7 and they have all the answers we need. They cover the full gamut of services and have allowed us to consolidate several vendors into one source saving us countless dollars and hours. They have helped us change our operations from reactive decisions to informed proactive planning.

Dennis W., Greenville, SC"...a Godsend"

Community Association Management is a solutions provider that enables HOA Boards to run efficiently and effectively. Their service is off the charts and their depth of knowledge and experience are invaluable.

Ace T., Charlotte, NCInvaluable Knowledge and Experience

6 yrs ago Community Association Management helped bail us out from insolvency to today’s successful surplus balance ! Community Association Management took the legal actions required to resolve our long uncollected debts – and acquire paying owners. Resolution of financial disputes required a professional mediator – and the prior management company not only failed at that task – they gave other “bad” advice that resulted in deficit budgets. Community Association Management has given “good” advic…